[DW] The coastguard said the migrant boats were located along Britannia's southeast coast. A senior British minister said the situation was "alarming" amid concerns that warming weather could fuel more crossings.| Last summer they were mostly Iranians and such. This year, thus far, they somehow don’t seem to be saying. |
Coastguard officials said the boats were found along Britannia's southeast coast, stretching from the port of Dover to Winchelsea Beach near Hastings, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) away.
Authorities worry that warmer weather conditions could fuel a rise in illegal crossings over the Channel.
According to Home Office, some 539 people attempted to cross the strait last year, with smugglers serving as the conduit.
That prompted Javid to declare last December that the rise in migrant crossings was a "major incident" for the UK.
"It is an established principle that those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and since January, more than 30 people who arrived illegally in the UK in small boats have been returned to Europe," Javid said.
"We will continue to seek to return anyone who has entered the UK illegally," he added.
Although crossings are on the rise, Britannia has fared better than fellow EU nations Spain, Italia and Greece on the Mediterranean Sea, where more than 21,300
| Courtesy of Slidmark, the Daily Mail has photos. |